MOSCOW - Russian scientists have started constructing space ships of a new type. One of them will allow travelling to USA through space, another is to land in Gusev crater on Mars.

First type ship is named “kosmoplan”, or “space-glider”. The model tests were successful, the ship took off and landed in an appointed place, Izvestia reports.

This ship is a kind of analog to American shuttle, as it does not need rocket carrier and vertical launch. Kosmoplan, like an ordinary plane, can take off unaided from an ordinary air field, then, reaching speed fourteen thousand km/hour it goes to the Earth orbit, and finally lands at an ordinary air field again. It can carry loads and passengers. A kosmoplan flight from Moscow to New-York will take fifty minutes only.

Kosmoplan uses oxygen-hydrogen mixed fluid as fuel, its hull is made of very durable composite carbon material. This material is used now for Proton rocket hull.

Not much detail is reported about the second type space ship. The cost of the Russian Martian project is about $20 billion. The spaceship must be ready to launch in 2018 when Mars and Earth are in opposition, which means the closest distance possible between them.

This may give more urgency for the US to get its butt in gear. But I think when the time comes we all will be pulling our collective resources to go there as a group. Or maybe not?

Matthew17 wrote:

We will have to go now or let Russia or another country own Mars!

No country can claim a planet by UN charter just like the US dose not have a claim on the moon not even the landing sites for the previous lunar landers. Only an outpost or colonel can clamed a track of land but not the whole planet. And you also have to have a way of protecting you clam.

if thats true that is amazzzing! quite like that idea, its these little things that seem to be popping up everywhere that make me think there could be a real serge of space activity. Any pictures or official news anywhere? very interested to hear what happens with that! why cant the brits do something likt that!

if thats true that is amazzzing! quite like that idea, its these little things that seem to be popping up everywhere that make me think there could be a real serge of space activity. Any pictures or official news anywhere? very interested to hear what happens with that! why cant the brits do something likt that!

We cant do something like that, because our government doesnt have enough money to waste on going to space. Cant even afford to run the Rail networks or NHS never mind a Space project.